Premium
Early post‐metamorphic ontogenesis of deep‐sea spatangoids (Echinoidea, Spatangoida) of the NE Atlantic Ocean
Author(s) -
Sumida Paulo Y.G.,
Tyler Paul A.,
Thurston Michael H.,
Gage John D.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
invertebrate biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.486
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1744-7410
pISSN - 1077-8306
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7410.2001.tb00046.x
Subject(s) - biology , juvenile , ontogeny , deep sea , zoology , sea cucumber , anatomy , ecology , fishery , genetics
. The early juvenile development of 3 species of irregular deep‐sea echinoids of the NE Atlantic was examined using scanning electron microscopy. Although the post‐metamorphic development of these 3 spatangoids is very similar, the morphology and development of fascioles (specialized bands of heavily ciliated minute spines) facilitates distinguishing the species. In Hemiaster expergitus and Spatangus raschi , the fascioles present in the early juvenile develop to form adult fascioles. In Brissopsis lyrifera , a juvenile fasciole of unknown function disappears during ontogenesis, and new adult subanal and periproct fascioles arise. Fascioles of S. raschi and B. lyrifera are present at a very early stage of development (∼0.7 mm test length), whereas in H. expergitus the fasciole appears much later (∼3 mm test length). Animals smaller than 0.8 mm test diameter have not yet developed a functional mouth and are still considered as endotrophic postlarval stages. Mouth development is similar for all spatangoids examined.